Softball Recap: Balboa Comes Up Short

Balboa extended their losing streak (dating back to last season) to five on Tuesday, dropping them down to 0-4. They came up short against the Lowell Cardinals, falling 18-2. The Buccaneers were given a dose of their own medicine in this game as the Cardinals apparently hadn't forgotten their defeat the last time these teams played back in May of 2025.

As for Lowell, the win made it two in a row for them and bumps their season record up to 7-8. The result was nothing new for the Cardinals, who have now won seven matchups by seven runs or more so far this season.

For Lowell's part, Laura Valencia was a major factor while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, tossing three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Valencia was also solid in the batter's box, getting on base in all three of her plate appearances with three runs and one RBI. That's the most runs she has posted since back in April of 2025.

In other batting news, Aila Liu was a standout: she went 1-for-2 with two runs, one stolen base, and two RBI. Katherine Chow was another key player, getting on base in all three of her plate appearances with two runs, one stolen base, and one RBI.

Coming up, Balboa will welcome Galileo at 3:30 p.m. on Thursday. The Lions have struggled to contain batters this season (they've allowed 10.8 runs per game on average), something the Buccaneers will no doubt try to take advantage of. As for Lowell, they will venture away from home to take on South San Francisco at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday.